Hundreds of thousands of Canadians want a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine war.
A petition backed by Quebec NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in relation to the war in the Middle East has garnered nearly a quarter of a million signatures.
So far, there are nearly 222,000 signatures as of publication.
The petition was open to the public on Oct. 24 and will close on Nov. 23.
In the appeal, Canadians are demanding for an immediate ceasefire and that Israel lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip and allow for an emergency humanitarian intervention.
The petition also requests that Canada asks that Israel meet its commitments under the Geneva Conventions and international law.
Furthermore, calls forCanada to push for its international commitment to “promote and defend human rights,” as well as “take any other measure necessary to protect civilians, both Israelis and Palestinians, and help foster a climate conducive to building a lasting peace.”
Of the signatures, more than 110,000 are from Ontaro alone, which is the most signatures in any province in the country.
Quebec came in second with over 40,000 signatures so far, followed by B.C and Alberta.
This petition comes as many people, leaders and advocates around the world call for a temporary suspension or full stop of bloodshed taking place in Gaza.
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This includes Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow who also called for an end to the violence.
“I believe that peace can only come through the immediate and unconditional return of all hostages and a ceasefire, as has been called for by humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations,” she said in a written statement on Friday.
“In talking with Muslim and Jewish communities over recent weeks, I’ve heard their worries and their fears. I’ve heard how deeply people are grieving and how unsafe they feel right now,” she continued.
Canadians have no doubt seen a rise in Islamophobia and antisemitic behaviour as a result of what’s going on overseas.
In fact, last month Trudeau spoke in the House of Commons and said there are rising instances of hate-motivated acts on a national scale.
“There are so many people in Canada who are afraid of the escalating tension here at home,” he said.
Recently he received criticism after nearly calling for an Israeli ceasefire before quickly backtracking.
“We need to see a cease-, we need to see a humanitarian pause so we can flow, we need ceasing of the levels of violence that we’re seeing,” he said.
Over the weekend, pro-Isreal and pro-Palestine rallies took place in Toronto that saw thousands come out in support of their respective causes.
Within the span of a little over a month, over 11,100 people in Gaza have been reportedly killed by the Israeli army since Oct. 7.
Israel recently revised their official death toll and decreased it from 1,400 to around 1,200 people who were reportedly killed by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7.
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